For information about the admission process, including deadlines, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Applications can be submitted via the Common Application.
Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The George Washington University
800 21st St NW Suite 100
Washington, DC 20052
For questions visit undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/contact-us.
Elliott School bachelor's degrees engage students with global issues through multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. Students begin their studies in the first year with foundational courses in political science, economics, history, and anthropology or geography. They supplement these courses with others in the traditional liberal arts categories of writing, oral communication, natural or physical science, mathematics or statistics, and the humanities/creative arts, plus two writing in the disciplines courses. Language study also is emphasized early to enable students to satisfy the third-year language proficiency requirement of the bachelor's degree in a timely manner.
Elliott School bachelor's degrees require a minimum of 120 credits. The following three sets of requirements must be fulfilled:
1. University General Education Requirements
2. Elliott School Introductory Requirements
3. Major Requirements
1. University General Education Requirements
Coursework for the University General Education Requirement is distributed as follows:
-
One course in critical thinking in the humanities.
-
Two courses in critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences.
-
One course that has an approved oral communication component.
- One course in quantitative reasoning (must be in mathematics or statistics).
- Students in the BS in international affairs program are required to take a calculus-based course to fulfill the University General Education requirement in quantitative reasoning. Options include MATH 1220 and MATH 1221; MATH 1231; MATH 1232; or MATH 1252. Students must complete all required prerequisites for their intended analytic core courses. Students are encouraged to consult their advisor with any questions.
- One course in scientific reasoning, with lab (must be in natural and/or physical laboratory sciences).
- UW 1020 University Writing (4 credits).
- After successful completion of UW 1020, 6 credits distributed over at least two writing in the discipline (WID) courses taken in separate semesters. WID courses are designated by a "W" appended to the course number.
2. Elliott School Introductory Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory requirements (22 credits) | ||
| Required | ||
| IAFF 1001 is not required for internal or external transfer students. | ||
| IAFF 1001 | First-Year Experience (fall of first year) | |
| IAFF 1005 | Introduction to International Affairs (required in the first year) | |
| ECON 1011 | Principles of Economics I | |
| ECON 1012 | Principles of Economics II | |
| HIST 1011 | World History from 1500 to Present | |
| PSC 1001 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | |
| One of the following introductory anthropology or geography courses: | ||
| ANTH 1002 | Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| ANTH 1004 | Language in Culture and Society | |
| GEOG 1001 | Introduction to Human Geography | |
| GEOG 1003 | Society and Environment * | |
| *GEOG 1003 does not meet the prerequisite requirement for all upper-level geography courses. | ||
| One additional course from the University General Education "Critical Thinking in the Humanities" course list or from the GPAC "Creative or Critical Thinking in the Arts" course list. | ||
3. Major Requirements
In addition to the University General Education Requirements and Elliott School Introductory Requirements, Elliott School students must complete the Major Requirements for their individual major:
If you are an Elliott School student who started at GW before Fall 2024, you are following a different version of the curriculum. Please find your degree requirements in the archived Bulletin for your matriculation year.
Students pursuing the BA in Asian Studies as a second major must complete all of the major requirements listed below, including any prerequisites for these courses. These requirements are taken in addition to the requirements for the student's primary major, which typically includes completion of the University General Education requirement and other requirements specific to the primary major. Students are encouraged to talk with their home school's academic advisor for more information about their primary major requirements.
The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under Elliott School of International Affairs, Undergraduate Degree Requirements.
A minimum grade of C- must be earned in all major requirement courses, to include the last course used to prove third-year proficiency in a modern regional language.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation (3 credits) | ||
| IAFF 2091 | East Asia-Past and Present | |
| Language (credits vary) | ||
| Students must demonstrate third-year proficiency in a modern language (Chinese, Japanese, or Korean) by examination or coursework. If taking coursework, students can satisfy the language requirement by taking a course that is equivalent to third-year proficiency, or by taking a course beyond the third year which has a listed prerequisite of the second semester of the third year. Please note that the language placement exam determines the level at which students begin their language study. Additional information regarding the Elliott School language examinations is available from the academic advisor. | ||
| Chinese | ||
| One of the following options for beginning Chinese: | ||
| Option one: | ||
| CHIN 1001 & CHIN 1002 | Beginning Chinese I and Beginning Chinese II | |
| Option two: | ||
| CHIN 1011 | Intensive Beginning Chinese | |
| And the following courses: | ||
| CHIN 2003 | Intermediate Chinese I | |
| CHIN 2004 | Intermediate Chinese II | |
| CHIN 3105 | Intermediate Chinese III | |
| CHIN 3106 | Intermediate Chinese IV | |
| Japanese | ||
| One of the following options for beginning Japanese: | ||
| Option one: | ||
| JAPN 1001 & JAPN 1002 | Beginning Japanese I and Beginning Japanese II | |
| Option two: | ||
| JAPN 1005 | Intensive Beginning Japanese | |
| And the following courses: | ||
| JAPN 2003 | Intermediate Japanese I | |
| JAPN 2004 | Intermediate Japanese II | |
| JAPN 3105 | Intermediate Japanese III | |
| JAPN 3106 | Intermediate Japanese IV | |
| Korean | ||
| KOR 1001 | Beginning Korean I | |
| KOR 1002 | Beginning Korean II | |
| KOR 2003 | Intermediate Korean I | |
| KOR 2004 | Intermediate Korean II | |
| KOR 3105 | Intermediate Korean III | |
| KOR 3106 | Intermediate Korean IV | |
Regional foundations (3 credits)
One course from the following in any region other than Asia. IAFF, ANTH, ECON, GEOG, HIST, and PSC courses pertaining to a region of the world with a focus on the contemporary, post-World War II era. Includes courses focused on single and multiple countries in a region.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | ||
| ANTH 3708 | Anthropology of Africa | |
| GEOG 3164 | The Geography of Africa | |
| HIST 3530 | Women in Africa | |
| IAFF 2093 | Africa: Problems and Prospects | |
| IAFF 2190W | Special Topics (North Africa and the World) * | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (Africa Declassified) | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (Africa and Globalization: Culture and Context) | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (African Literature and Politics) | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (Africa in the Global Economy) | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (Ethnic and Religious Conflict in Africa) | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (International Affairs in Africa) | |
| IAFF 3189 | Special Topics in African Studies (Women and Leadership in Africa) | |
| PSC 2381 | Comparative Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa | |
| PSC 2482 | African International Politics | |
| *IAFF 2190W (North Africa and the World) is not approved as a regional foundations course for students in the Middle East Studies program due to the degree of overlap between issues in North Africa and the Middle East. | ||
| Asia | ||
| (Students in the BA in Asian studies program must fulfill the regional foundations requirement using a course focused in a world region other than Asia.) | ||
| ANTH 3704 | Cultures of Southeast Asia | |
| ECON 2169 | Introduction to the Economy of China | |
| GEOG 3165 | Geography of South Asia | |
| HIST 3615 | History of Chinese Communism | |
| HIST 3621 | History of Modern Japan | |
| HIST 3631 | History of Modern Korea | |
| HIST 3640 | History of Southeast Asia | |
| IAFF 2091 | East Asia-Past and Present | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Asian Order and Community Building) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Central Asia Security) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Comparative Politics in Southeast Asia) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Economic Development of East Asia) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Economic Lessons from East Asia) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Indo-Pacific Security Challenges) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (South Asian Politics Via Literature and Film) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Women in Asia) | |
| IAFF 3752W | Equitable Development in Southeast Asia | |
| IAFF 3753 | International Relations of South Asia | |
| IAFF 3756 | Christianity and Islam in East Asia | |
| PSC 2368 | Politics in the Two Koreas | |
| PSC 2371 | Politics and Foreign Policy of China | |
| PSC 2374 | Politics and Foreign Policy of Japan | |
| PSC 2373 | Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia | |
| Europe and Eurasia | ||
| GEOG 3197 | Special Topics in Regional Geography (Geography of Russia and Its Neighbors) | |
| HIST 1121 | The War of Ideas in European and International History, 1750-Present | |
| HIST 2125 | Twentieth-Century Europe | |
| HIST 3101 | Topics: Europe (All sections of HIST 3101 are approved for this requirement.) | |
| HIST 3168 | Divided and United Germany Since 1945 | |
| IAFF 2092 | Russia and Eastern Europe: An Introduction | |
| IAFF 2094 | Europe in Transition | |
| IAFF 3185 | Special Topics in European and Eurasian Studies (Nationalism in Eurasia) | |
| IAFF 3185 | Special Topics in European and Eurasian Studies (The West and Russia) | |
| IAFF 3185 | Special Topics in European and Eurasian Studies (Ukraine and Georgia between Russia and the West) | |
| IAFF 3185 | Special Topics in European and Eurasian Studies (Ukrainian Security) | |
| IAFF 3190 | Special Topics in International Affairs (European Economies and Crisis of Integration) | |
| PSC 2330 | Comparative Politics of Western Europe | |
| PSC 2331 | Comparative Politics of Central and Eastern Europe | |
| PSC 2332 | European Integration | |
| PSC 2366 | Russian Politics | |
| PSC 2994 | Special Topics in International Relations (International Politics of Central and Eastern Europe) | |
| PSC 3192W | Proseminar: Political Science (British Politics) | |
| Latin America | ||
| (Students in the BA in Latin American and hemispheric studies program must fulfill the regional foundations requirement using a course focused in a world region other than Latin America.) | ||
| ANTH 3702 | Anthropology of Latin America | |
| ANTH 3791 | Topics in Regional Anthropology (Anthropology of the Caribbean) | |
| GEOG 3161 | Geography of Latin America | |
| HIST 3701 | Topics in Latin American History (Democracy in Latin America) | |
| HIST 3701 | Topics in Latin American History (Violence, Drugs, and Democracy in Latin America) | |
| HIST 3710 | History of Latin America I | |
| HIST 3711 | History of Latin America II | |
| IAFF 2090 | Latin America: Problems and Promise | |
| IAFF 3177 | Political Economy of Latin America | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Cuba in the Global Arena) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Democracy in Latin America) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Democracy Under Siege in Latin America) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Economic and Social Development of Latin America) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Feminist Movements in Latin America) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Geography of Latin America) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Latin America Geopolitics and Geoeconomy) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Latin American Migration) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Racial and Ethnic Politics of Latin America) | |
| IAFF 3187 | Special Topics in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies (Security in the Americas) | |
| IAFF 3191W | Populism and Regime Change in Latin America | |
| IAFF 3855 | Argentina in Global Context | |
| PSC 2383 | Comparative Politics of Latin America | |
| PSC 2993 | Special Topics in Comparative Politics (Democratic Experiments in Latin America) | |
| SPAN 3200 | Bilingualism in the Spanish-Speaking World | |
| Middle East | ||
| (Students in the BA in Middle East studies program must fulfill the regional foundations requirement using a course focused in a world region other than the Middle East.) | ||
| ANTH 3707 | Anthropology of the Middle East | |
| GEOG 3154 | Geography of the Middle East and North Africa | |
| HIST 3801 | Topics in Middle Eastern History (The Middle East Since WWII) | |
| HIST 3810 | History of the Middle East to 1800 | |
| HIST 3825 | Land and Power in Israel/Palestine | |
| IAFF 2095 | The Middle East in International Affairs | |
| IAFF 2190W | Special Topics (Arab Politics) | |
| IAFF 2190W | Special Topics (North Africa and the World) | |
| IAFF 2190W | Special Topics (Politics and Culture in the Middle East) | |
| IAFF 2190W | Special Topics (Turkey and Its Neighbors) | |
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (Iran in the Middle East) | |
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (National Security Lab Middle East) | |
| IAFF 3188 | Special Topics in Middle East Studies (The Middle East Since WWII) | |
| IAFF 3352 | Israeli and Palestinian Peacebuilding | |
| PSC 2377 | Comparative Politics of the Middle East | |
| PSC 2476 | The Arab-Israeli Conflict | |
| or PSC 2476W | The Arab-Israeli Conflict | |
| PSC 2478 | International Relations of the Middle East | |
| PSC 2993 | Special Topics in Comparative Politics (Political Violence in the Middle East) | |
Research Methods (3 credits)
One course pertaining to qualitative or quantitative social science research methods, computer programming, or other analytical competencies, from the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 3531 | Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology | |
| APSC 3115 | Engineering Analysis III | |
| CSCI 1012 | Introduction to Programming with Python | |
| DATS 1001 | Data Science for All | |
| DNSC 1001 | Business Analytics I: Statistics for Descriptive and Predictive Analytics * | |
| DNSC 2001 | Business Analytics II: Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics ** | |
| ECON 2123 | Introduction to Econometrics | |
| or STAT 2123 | Introduction to Econometrics | |
| GEOG 2104 | Introduction to Cartography and GIS | |
| IAFF 2101 | Qualitative Methods in International Affairs | |
| IAFF 2102 | Quantitative Methods in International Affairs | |
| IAFF 2190 | Special Topics (Political Risk Analysis) | |
| IAFF 2190 | Special Topics (Program Design in International Affairs) | |
| IAFF 3180W | Special Topics in Security Policy (Security Policy and Qualitative Analysis) | |
| IAFF 3190 | Special Topics in International Affairs (International Conflict and Politics Research Seminar) | |
| IAFF 3502 | Strategic Management and Qualitative Methods in International Affairs | |
| IAFF 4191W | Research Seminar (International Conflict and Politics Research Seminar) | |
| IAFF 4191W | Research Seminar (Security Policy and Qualitative Analysis) | |
| ISTM 3119 | Introduction to Programming | |
| PSC 2101 | Scope and Methods of Political Science | |
| PSYC 2101 | Research Methods in Psychology | |
| PUBH 2142 | Introduction to Biostatistics for Public Health | |
| PUBH 3131 | Epidemiology | |
| PUBH 3199 | Topics in Public Health (Research Methods Foundations) | |
| PUBH 4201 | Practical Computing | |
| SMPA 2151 | Research Methods | |
| SOC 2101 | Social Research Methods | |
| SOC 2102 | Techniques of Data Analysis | |
| STAT 1051 | Introduction to Business and Economic Statistics * | |
| STAT 1053 | Introduction to Statistics in Social Science * | |
| STAT 1111 | Business and Economic Statistics I * | |
| STAT 1127 | Statistics for the Biological Sciences * | |
| STAT 1129 | Introduction to Computing | |
| STAT 2112 | Business and Economic Statistics II ** | |
| STAT 2118 | Regression Analysis | |
| STAT 2123 | Introduction to Econometrics | |
| or ECON 2123 | Introduction to Econometrics | |
| STAT 2183W | Intermediate Statistical Laboratory: Statistical Computing Packages | |
| STAT 4157 | Introduction to Mathematical Statistics I | |
| *Credit for only one of the following courses can be counted toward an Elliott School undergraduate degree: DNSC 1001, STAT 1051, STAT 1053, STAT 1111, or STAT 1127. | ||
| **Credit for only one of the following courses can be counted toward an Elliott School undergraduate degree: DNSC 2001 or STAT 2112. | ||
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| In the categories below, additional Asia-related courses may be approved by the Program Director. | ||
| Asian literature (3 credits) | ||
| One course from the following: | ||
| CHIN 3111 | Chinese Literature in Translation I | |
| CHIN 3112 | Chinese Literature in Translation II | |
| JAPN 3111 | Japanese Literature in Translation I | |
| JAPN 3112 | Japanese Literature in Translation II | |
| KOR 3111 | Korean Literature in Translation I | |
| KOR 3112 | Korean Literature in Translation II | |
| Multi-disciplinary core (18 credits) | ||
| The following lists are not exhaustive, and new courses may be added at any time. | ||
| History and Culture—Three courses (9 credits) from the following: | ||
| ANTH 3703 | Cultures of the Pacific | |
| ANTH 3704 | Cultures of Southeast Asia | |
| ANTH 3705 | Anthropology of East Asia | |
| ANTH 3709 | Japanese Culture Through Film | |
| or JAPN 3162 | Japanese Culture Through Film | |
| CAH 2190 | East Asian Art | |
| CAH 2191 | South Asian Art | |
| CAH 2192 | Art of Southeast Asia | |
| CHIN 3136W | Chinese Women in Myth, Literature, and Film (same as WGSS 3136 and WGSS 3136W) | |
| CHIN 3162 | Chinese Culture Through Film | |
| EALL 1075 | East Asian Calligraphy | |
| EALL 2802 | Introduction to Chinese Religions | |
| or REL 2802 | Introduction to Chinese Religions | |
| EALL 3811 | Confucian Literature in East Asia | |
| or REL 2811 | Confucian Literature in East Asia | |
| EALL 3831 | Introduction to Daoism | |
| or EALL 3831W | Introduction to Daoism | |
| or REL 2831 | Introduction to Daoism | |
| EALL 3881 | Women, Gender, and Religion in China | |
| or REL 3881 | Women, Gender, and Religion in China | |
| or WGSS 3881 | Women, Gender, and Religion in China | |
| ENGL 3965 | Topics in Asian American Cultural Studies | |
| HIST 2305W | Majors’ Introductory Seminar: United States (The Cold War in Asia) | |
| HIST 2630 | History of Korea | |
| HIST 3001 | Special Topics (Modern Southeast Asian History) | |
| HIST 3001 | Special Topics (The Cold War in Asia) | |
| HIST 3001 | Special Topics (The Korean War) | |
| HIST 3001 | Special Topics (Vietnam: Colonialism, War, Revolution) | |
| HIST 3001 | Special Topics (World War II in Asia) | |
| HIST 3001 | Special Topics (WWII in Asia: History and Legacy) | |
| HIST 3001 | Special Topics (WWII in East Asia and the Pacific) | |
| HIST 3035 | The United States and the Wars in Indochina, 1945–1975 | |
| HIST 3610 | Imperial China (Song-Qing) | |
| HIST 3611 | History of Modern China | |
| HIST 3614W | Writing Modern Chinese History | |
| HIST 3615 | History of Chinese Communism | |
| HIST 3621 | History of Modern Japan | |
| HIST 3640 | History of Southeast Asia | |
| HIST 3650 | Modern South Asia, 1750-Present | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Memory and Reconciliation in Asia) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (North Korean Society and Culture. Same as KOR 4190: North Korean Society and Culture) | |
| JAPN 3162 | Japanese Culture Through Film | |
| or ANTH 3709 | Japanese Culture Through Film | |
| KOR 3162 | Korean Culture through Film | |
| KOR 4190 | North Korean Society and Culture (same as IAFF 3186: North Korean Society and Culture) | |
| REL 2401 | Islam | |
| REL 2501 | Hinduism | |
| REL 2562 | Mythologies of India | |
| REL 2601 | Buddhism | |
| REL 2802 | Introduction to Chinese Religions | |
| or EALL 2802 | Introduction to Chinese Religions | |
| REL 2811 | Confucian Literature in East Asia | |
| or EALL 3811 | Confucian Literature in East Asia | |
| REL 2814 | Religion and Philosophy in East Asia | |
| or EALL 3814 | Religion and Philosophy in East Asia | |
| REL 3405 | Shi'ite Islam | |
| REL 3481 | Women in Islam | |
| REL 3614 | Buddhist Philosophy | |
| REL 3831W | Introduction to Daoism | |
| or EALL 3831W | Introduction to Daoism | |
| REL 3832 | Myth, Ritual, and Popular Religion in China | |
| or EALL 3832 | Myth, Ritual, and Popular Religion in China | |
| REL 3989 | The Goddess in India and Beyond | |
| REL 3990 | Selected Topics in Religion (Mahabharata and Pali Buddhism) | |
| REL 3990 | Selected Topics in Religion (Shamanism in Theory) | |
| WGSS 3136 | Chinese Women in Myth, Literature, and Film (same as CHIN 3136W) | |
| or WGSS 3136W | Chinese Women in Myth, Literature, and Film | |
| Political Science and Geography—Two courses (6 credits) from the following: | ||
| GEOG 3165 | Geography of South Asia | |
| IAFF 2202W | Critical Issues in U.S.-Asia Relations | |
| IAFF 3201W | China’s Rise and Its Implications | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Indo-Pacific Security Challenges) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Politics and Conflict South Asia) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Taiwan: Current Challenges and Future Directions) | |
| IAFF 3190 | Special Topics in International Affairs (China and Africa) | |
| IAFF 3753 | International Relations of South Asia | |
| IAFF 3754 | U.S.-China Relations | |
| PSC 2368 | Politics in the Two Koreas | |
| PSC 2369 | Comparative Politics of South Asia | |
| PSC 2370 | Comparative Politics of China and Northeast Asia | |
| PSC 2371 | Politics and Foreign Policy of China | |
| PSC 2373 | Comparative Politics of Southeast Asia | |
| PSC 2374 | Politics and Foreign Policy of Japan | |
| PSC 2475 | International Relations of East Asia | |
| PSC 3192W | Proseminar: Political Science (Chinese Foreign Policy) | |
| PSC 3192W | Proseminar: Political Science (Post-Conflict Vietnam) | |
| Economics and Development—One course (3 credits) from the following: | ||
| ECON 2151 | Economic Development | |
| or ECON 2151W | Economic Development | |
| ECON 2169 | Introduction to the Economy of China | |
| ECON 2198 | Special Topics in Economics - Regional (East Asian Economies) | |
| IAFF 3186 | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Economic Development of East Asia) | |
| IAFF 3186W | Special Topics in Asian Studies (Development Issues in Southeast Asia) | |
| IAFF 3752W | Equitable Development in Southeast Asia | |
| Related coursework (9 credits) | ||
| Three courses related to Asia from any discipline, including International Affairs (IAFF), selected with the approval of the program director. | ||
| Study abroad | ||
| Students are encouraged to study in Asia through one of GW's formal partnerships with a regional university or an approved self-designed study abroad program. | ||